Besides the staff, there are two other people staying overnight: a teenage boy and a middle-aged man. Is Sebastian going to start a conversation with either of them?

He's not really feeling in the mood for talking.

(The green-haired boy would have told him if Amadelphous wanted to leave, right? Right??)

Then he can get a sandwich with the day's winnings and go to sleep. Hopefully he's adjusted to the early wake-up by now.

Obviously. It's not like he didn't have to wake up early for school.

He gets breakfast and sets out to see what else is around the city.

Besides the garden he saw earlier and the Pokémon Center, there appears to be a path to a wooded area, something called the Striaton Gym, and something else called the Trainer's School.

He needs to challenge the gym eventually, but the Trainer's School actually sounds very useful! He'll go check that out.

The school appears to be a single room. There's one adult, and several children of varying ages, most much younger than Sebastian.

"Hello, young man!" says the one actual adult in the room. "Are you interested in studying at the Trainer's School? We have a quiz today, but if you'd rather read independently, that's also allowed."

Reading independently would probably be more useful, but he doesn't have the slightest idea where to start. He'll try the quiz, and maybe that'll give him a sense of what he's missing.

UNIT 5 QUIZ: STATUS EFFECTS

1. Which of the following berries cures poison?

a. Cheri Berry
b. Chesto Berry
c. Oran Berry
d. Pecha Berry

2. Which of the following manufactured items thaws a frozen Pokémon?

a. Antidote
b. Awakening
c. Ice Heal
d. Paralyz Heal

3. In general, which of the following would stop a Pokémon from being put to sleep with the move "Spore"? Circle ALL that apply.

a. Being a grass-type
b. Having the ability "Insomnia"
c. Being frozen
d. Holding a Chesto Berry

4. FREE RESPONSE: List one attacking move, one status move, one ability, and one item that can inflict a burn.

5. FREE RESPONSE: Some people have argued that sleep moves should be banned from tournament-level play. Do you agree with this position? Why or why not?

Is this what school always feels like when your pops isn't secretly pulling strings to get you good grades?

He circles A, C, and B, leaves question 4 blank, and writes something for question 5 about how sleeping is a valid strategy that trainers ought to be prepared to counter, then hands in his quiz.

The teacher hands it back a couple minutes later with a 2/5 marked and a smiley face next to question 5. 

Some of his classmates are still working on the quiz, does he want to grab a book in the meantime?

Sure. He picks one mostly at random. (The teacher probably thinks he's an idiot but it's not like he can make things worse.)

All About Evolution!

Oh, he's taken biology, he understands this already. He flips it open, just to confirm.

Chapter 1

Evolution is the process by which a Pokémon changes from one species to a different species.

That is specifically not how evolution works! (Right? Maybe it actually is how evolution works, and his pops just covered for him not understanding??)

Evolutions can be triggered in several ways, but some of the most common are listed below.

• Repeated participation in battles, particularly against stronger Pokémon
• Exposure to an object with high levels of energy, such as a Moon Stone
• Trading a Pokémon with another trainer

[...]

In some cases, it may be undesirable for a Pokémon to evolve. In most cases, this can be avoided by either using an Everstone to prevent the psychological state required for evolution, or by startling a Pokémon during the process. However, in some cases, these precautions may prove inadequate.

[...]

Several more speculative evolution methods have been proposed. For instance, researchers in Kalos have suggested that vertical inversion of an Inkay may be a necessary component of evolving it into a Malamar. However, as yet, this remains purely speculative.

[...]

Most Pokémon are part of a single "evolutionary chain." For example, Snivy can evolve into Servine, which evolves into Serperior. However, in some cases, a Pokémon may be able to evolve into multiple different species depending on the specific evolutionary trigger. 

[...]

Evolution may be alarming, but it's an important part of the maturation process. In general, if a Pokémon wishes to evolve, a trainer should not override its preferences. (For guidance on how to determine whether your Pokémon wishes to evolve, see Appendix A.)

Maybe it's just using weird language to talk about the normal process of changing and becoming stronger over time? 

There are photos! This is what Oshawott, Dewott, and Samurott look like. This is a Munna in the process of evolving. This is Tynamo and Eelektrik. They're not native to Unova, but here is an Eevee with all seven of its known evolutions.

Is school always this weird and confusing? Maybe school is always this weird and confusing?

Does this mean Pops was right?

"Alright, class, everyone is done with the quizzes, so let's get started with our next unit! Who can tell me what field control is?"

"Field control is when you use fancy techniques to give your opponent less flex-i-bil-i-ty! Usually by making it not be safe for them to switch out their Pokémon."

"Very good. Now, can anyone name the three types of entry hazard covered in our reading from last night?"

(It continues like that for a while. He tries his best to follow along but he's still pretty lost.)

Eventually they take a break for lunch.

"Sebastian, could you stay a few minutes to talk with me?"